I stayed in Curacao from July 4th to August 5th. During this period, I completed 34 dives over 17 different days. The remaining time was spent with family and friends who do not dive, so we focused on surface activities.
Regarding accommodation, stayed in three different Airbnb properties. Nothing particularly notable to report, and overall, the reviews I read matched the actual experience.
I rented a car from National, mainly because I have high-tier status through a status match from FlyingBlue. The vehicle was a Kia Sportage with 10,000 km on it, and there were no issues worth mentioning. Fuel prices were significantly lower than what I typically pay at home, so I had no complaints there either.
Restaurants and bars
A few highlights include The Ribs Factory, Pop's Place (Brisa Do Mar), Bodega Siete Gotas, and Gio’s for cakes and ice cream.
The Cascada Rooftop Bar offered ok-ish food, but the sunset views and the fireworks during Punda Night made up for it.
Beaches
Visited most of the popular spots on the island. Kokomo, Porto Marie, and Cas Abao were visited multiple times and left a good impression.
Things we didn’t like:
Stray dogs – The number of stray dogs on the island is quite high. I believe there should be broader efforts to address this issue and improve animal welfare.
Playa Piskado – We visited early in the morning, swimming out to the furthest buoy outside and snorkeling until a couple of turtles appeared. However, what we witnessed afterward was concerning: a large number of tourists, many of whom could barely swim, were organized into tours that harassed the turtles near the pier. Turtles are baited by local fishermen. In my opinion, such practices should be prohibited
Curacao Ostrich Farm – The guide was engaging and entertaining. However, it is important to note that he made numerous comments referencing the slaughter of ostriches and their processing for food. Similar remarks were made while discussing pigs and crocodiles, where he even elaborated on how he was unable to sell them, leading to their burial, which was later discovered by dogs. In my opinion, this is not an appropriate topic to present to children in the manner it was handled.
Klein Curacao with Miss Ann Boat Trips – I observed several questionable practices, some of which are related to my background in the maritime industry so many others might not notice. The journey to the island was quite rough by any standard, and many passengers became ill. The transfer to the beach was done using a zodiac, which was less than ideal; some individuals fell into the sea and had their belongings soaked because there was no additional staff to assist on beach. Additionally, the transfer back from the zodiac to the boat could be improved, especially in rough seas, with more priority and assistance given to passengers with small children or those more vulnerable. Although I communicated these concerns to the crew, they were dismissed without further consideration.
Diving
I completed 34 dives over 17 different days with Rebel Dive and The Dive Bus. The water temperature remained steady at 28–29°C from the surface down to 40 meters.
Rebel Dive
My main goal for this trip was to build confidence in the water and to complete Nitrox, navigation, and deep specialty courses. The specialties were conducted with Daan from Rebel Dive. I had completed the theory portion via e-learning beforehand, but Daan preferred to go beyond the minimum requirements. We went into detailed discussions on various topics, which was highly beneficial—especially in gas planning, where we explored the subject in much greater depth than the standard SSI material.
Daan operates as a one-person operation, which has both advantages and disadvantages. Overall, I found significant value in the courses, mainly because they were one-on-one and tailored to my progress. In addition to the courses, I did several guided dives with her or another guide she hired when she was unavailable due to medical issues. Highlights from the sites visited include Boca Sami and Director’s Bay.
Daan was a pleasure to work with and genuinely cares about the environment.
The Dive Bus
Gwen, Collin, and Steve were friendly, helpful, and highly knowledgeable about the dive sites. They are also fun to hang out with, making the experience even more enjoyable. The operation is well-run and I plan to return in the future. Notable sites include the Marie Pampoen and Playa Porto Mari, where we encountered bait balls on several dives—an experience that was quite different
Overall, I made significant progress during this trip. I became far more confident in my skills and my gas consumption decreased noticeably. I now comfortably do 55-60 minute dives on an AL80 tank, which is a substantial improvement compared to a few months ago when I was using an AL100 tank and only managing 40-minute dives in Egypt.
I started experimenting with cameras (Insta360 X4 and Insta360 Ace Pro 2) with varying results. Samples below
Regarding accommodation, stayed in three different Airbnb properties. Nothing particularly notable to report, and overall, the reviews I read matched the actual experience.
I rented a car from National, mainly because I have high-tier status through a status match from FlyingBlue. The vehicle was a Kia Sportage with 10,000 km on it, and there were no issues worth mentioning. Fuel prices were significantly lower than what I typically pay at home, so I had no complaints there either.
Restaurants and bars
A few highlights include The Ribs Factory, Pop's Place (Brisa Do Mar), Bodega Siete Gotas, and Gio’s for cakes and ice cream.
The Cascada Rooftop Bar offered ok-ish food, but the sunset views and the fireworks during Punda Night made up for it.
Beaches
Visited most of the popular spots on the island. Kokomo, Porto Marie, and Cas Abao were visited multiple times and left a good impression.
Things we didn’t like:
Stray dogs – The number of stray dogs on the island is quite high. I believe there should be broader efforts to address this issue and improve animal welfare.
Playa Piskado – We visited early in the morning, swimming out to the furthest buoy outside and snorkeling until a couple of turtles appeared. However, what we witnessed afterward was concerning: a large number of tourists, many of whom could barely swim, were organized into tours that harassed the turtles near the pier. Turtles are baited by local fishermen. In my opinion, such practices should be prohibited
Curacao Ostrich Farm – The guide was engaging and entertaining. However, it is important to note that he made numerous comments referencing the slaughter of ostriches and their processing for food. Similar remarks were made while discussing pigs and crocodiles, where he even elaborated on how he was unable to sell them, leading to their burial, which was later discovered by dogs. In my opinion, this is not an appropriate topic to present to children in the manner it was handled.
Klein Curacao with Miss Ann Boat Trips – I observed several questionable practices, some of which are related to my background in the maritime industry so many others might not notice. The journey to the island was quite rough by any standard, and many passengers became ill. The transfer to the beach was done using a zodiac, which was less than ideal; some individuals fell into the sea and had their belongings soaked because there was no additional staff to assist on beach. Additionally, the transfer back from the zodiac to the boat could be improved, especially in rough seas, with more priority and assistance given to passengers with small children or those more vulnerable. Although I communicated these concerns to the crew, they were dismissed without further consideration.
Diving
I completed 34 dives over 17 different days with Rebel Dive and The Dive Bus. The water temperature remained steady at 28–29°C from the surface down to 40 meters.
Rebel Dive
My main goal for this trip was to build confidence in the water and to complete Nitrox, navigation, and deep specialty courses. The specialties were conducted with Daan from Rebel Dive. I had completed the theory portion via e-learning beforehand, but Daan preferred to go beyond the minimum requirements. We went into detailed discussions on various topics, which was highly beneficial—especially in gas planning, where we explored the subject in much greater depth than the standard SSI material.
Daan operates as a one-person operation, which has both advantages and disadvantages. Overall, I found significant value in the courses, mainly because they were one-on-one and tailored to my progress. In addition to the courses, I did several guided dives with her or another guide she hired when she was unavailable due to medical issues. Highlights from the sites visited include Boca Sami and Director’s Bay.
Daan was a pleasure to work with and genuinely cares about the environment.
The Dive Bus
Gwen, Collin, and Steve were friendly, helpful, and highly knowledgeable about the dive sites. They are also fun to hang out with, making the experience even more enjoyable. The operation is well-run and I plan to return in the future. Notable sites include the Marie Pampoen and Playa Porto Mari, where we encountered bait balls on several dives—an experience that was quite different
Overall, I made significant progress during this trip. I became far more confident in my skills and my gas consumption decreased noticeably. I now comfortably do 55-60 minute dives on an AL80 tank, which is a substantial improvement compared to a few months ago when I was using an AL100 tank and only managing 40-minute dives in Egypt.
I started experimenting with cameras (Insta360 X4 and Insta360 Ace Pro 2) with varying results. Samples below
